"Assignment 4: Blog: Sharing Your Thoughts"

Optimizing Brain Development

            Optimizing brain development for young children is imperative.  That is, positive early experiences forge the foundations for lifelong learning and behavior. And, to maximizing the development of each child, a rich nurturing environment is required (Diamond & Hopson, 1998; Fischer & Rose, 1998).  The developmental stage of a child’s brain is a crucial part of their early years.  During this time of growing children experience social-emotional, cognitive and physical development as well as build positive relationships with their parent, peers, and caregivers. 

Building a partnership with families can become an essential message for early childhood professionals to help a supportive, positive social change towards their child’s school readiness and achievement.  This topic optimizing brain development for young children is critical to me because an early childhood professionals can play a fundamental role in developing the foundation of young a child’s developmentally appropriate practices; as well as contribute to a child’s success in early education throughout life.

Reference

Diamond, M., & Hopson, J. (1998). Magic trees of the mind: How to nurture your child’s intelligence, creativity, and healthy emotions from birth through adolescence. New York: Dutton.

Optimizing Early Brain and Motor Development Through Movement

www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=360  

"Discussion 3: Optimizing Brain Development"

The importance of early childhood development is a vital message that I feel is essential for stakeholders to hear, as well as the role of children receiving the appropriate early interventions from family and caregivers.  The social-emotional and physical development needed for young children sets the foundation of brain development on healthy development and learning.  Early childhood professionals must advocate brain research and brain development to increase high-quality achievements for all children.  SECA believes that the information that has emerged from the scientific research needs to be accurately and systematically made available to childcare professionals, parents, and legislators, as well as, to the general population as quickly and efficiently as possible (SECA, 2001).

            There are important some goals and plans for dissemination of brain development information that can improve high-quality learning for young children to have a positive outcome of education such as enlightening their social-emotional, cognitively and physically skills. Brain cell connections are established as the growing child experiences the surrounding world and forms attachments to parents, families, and caregivers (SECA, 2001).  Developing and understanding strategies to support or enhance a young child’s awareness of potential obstacles can help with optimizing brain development.  Therefore, can prevent any stress or lack thereof feeling overwhelmed during early childhood learning brain developing.

Reference

Southern Early Childhood Association. (2001). Brain development and its implications for early childhood programs. Retrieved from http://www.southernearlychildhood.org/upload/pdf/Brain_Research__Its_Implications.pdf

"Discussion 2: Connecting to History and Theory"

I have always had love the little people, who like to call toddlers.  It gives me joy watching them learn to become independent.  Pursuing a graduate degree in education allow me to help motivate children to develop and grow.  Therefore, I believe a well-planned curriculum can provide passion in building a sense of developmental skills toward motivating young children to learn.  It is also important to promote a healthy learning environment that provides a positive academic outcome.  Historically viewed as supporting the education of young children; today it is recognized that the care and education of young children are inseparable (Public Early Childhood Education, Laureate Education (Producer). (2015d).

Young children developing a healthy educational skill will help them to succeed in life.  Education will be very beneficial throughout adulthood.  As well as, contribute to their social/emotional skills to help with a young child’s individual personality.  The Early childhood educational program will also improve their communication skills with a continuous high-quality curriculum.  The program must provide different ways of challenging their social, emotional, cognitive and physical developmentally appropriate skills; such as developing and examine theoretical models of early child growth, development, and learning (Research/Academia, Laureate Education (Producer). (2015d).

Reference

Laureate Education (Producer). (2015d). Early childhood education history and theory [Interactive media]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Discussion 1: What Does It Mean to Be an Early Childhood Professional?

Caring and compassion are essential in the early childhood profession; as well as of having the necessary awareness and skills needed to become an active professional.  It is also imperative to recognize the importance of developing a high-quality program that will enhance developmentally appropriate practice to create continue learning.  In fact, early childhood professionals continually observe a child’s play and interaction in a physical environment and others, we learn about each child’s interests, abilities, and developmental progress (Accessing EC research, naeyc.org).  Therefore, young children can learn the fundamentals of a healthy early childhood educational social and emotional skills. 

As an early childhood professional, we must be able to work in a diverse environment.  They must support various ways of providing the needs for different characteristics of diverse learning for young children and their families.  Professionals also assist with challenges children face during the early years of their life.  A child’s skills are strengthening with a well-planned curriculum that young children can help a positive outcome.  Being an early childhood professional, provide quality care and education for young children, as well as recognizing and improving the educational environment for children to achieve.  As a result, of a culture already installed was greatly intensified toward new levels of monitoring and regulation (Stearns, p. 48, 2009).

Reference

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2005a). Accessing EC research. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/resources/research/accessing

Stearns, P. N. (2009). Analyzing the role of culture in shaping American childhood: A twentieth-century case. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 6(1), 34–52.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

“Professional Hopes and Goals”

I hope to make available to every child the opportunity to experience other diverse backgrounds by interacting with other children to learning their individuals’ ethnicities.  It is also important to create an environment where children can gain a sense of well-being and learn a young child’s diversities traditional upbringing.  Consequently, working with young children and their families, learning more about their culturally diverse backgrounds will help me meet the needs of every child becoming successful in the classroom. 

A goal that I would like to set for an early childhood with issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is to gain a better understanding of children and families of a diverse culture to help the to learn how to adjust to diversity and equality.  Children will learn to become successful with their various strengths, abilities, interests and cultural practices if they understand and better supported by professionals.  Louise Derman-Sparks, “and I think that a lot of the knowledge we've learned from the work in early childhood education around diversity and equity issues, particularly sort of the developmental issues--art can also be useful to people in other aspects of social justice work (Laureate Education, 2011)”.  As a result, of professionals building a child’s knowledge in the classroom mainly that will provide benefits for teaching them about their cultural histories.  

To my dear instructor and colleagues, we have been working together and gained a lot of educational experiences in this course.  I would like to take this time to thank you all for the opportunities that we’ve shared in this class.  I wish you all the best and send my blessing with your endeavors.

Reference

Video: Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Diversity and equity work: Lessons learned [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

“Welcoming Families From Around the World”

The name of “your” family’s country of origin

Belize - County           BH – FIPS Code        Belmopan – Capitol

Five ways in which I would prepare myself to become culturally responsive towards the family in the scenario are:  being able to create a personalized interaction with personalities in their families; continuous cultivate and use language of greetings and the main expressions in the family primary language; always attempt to provide accommodations needed for each person; educate myself about each family member’s dynamics of identity and how they feel about the history of diverse groups.

Optimistically, these preparations will benefit both me and the family by discovering some regions.  Therefore, the information will help move frontward in becoming familiar with and appreciating diversity in each person.  As well as understanding, reviewing, chatting with others will provide the capabilities of additional cultural groups that I can redesign our setting of orientation. As a result, my provision of and reply to society that we help will be more suitable and efficient. 

Belize and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the UN, Organization of American States, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization.

Reference

"Belize - U.S. Department of State." Insert Name of Site in Italics. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2014   http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1955.htm

"The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression"

Unfortunately, just about everyone has experienced bias, prejudice, and /or oppression.  Society as a whole are sometimes are afraid to address these issues because of the destruction it may cause.  People may become victims of stereotyping which leaves me sorrowful.  According to Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, “internalized oppression is a feeling or belief that the negative messages are true”.  People are often biased against others outside of their social group, showing prejudice (emotional bias), stereotypes (cognitive bias), and discrimination (behavioral bias).  Therefore, it is vital to creating an educational environment that reflects the diversity of different groups to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity.  “Invisibility erases identity and experience; visibility affirms reality” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).

Reference

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).